Needle threading device



Jan. 13, 1953 C. A. PINKHAM ET AL NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1950 \I i k I) g mm llllll llll @n 5a- INVENTOR.

I"! 111 L10 we k 51 32w 5 0M41 \L BY w AM M Arrow/5y Patented Jan. 13, 1953 NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Clarence A. Pinkham, Douglaston, and Bartholomew Holohan, Kew Gardens, N. Y., assignors to Nelpin Manufacturing Co., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 8, 1950, Serial No. 154,754

8 Claims.

This invention relates to threading appliances and, more particularly, to an improved, compact, needle threader arranged to be held in and operated by one hand to thread a needle inserted in the device by the other hand.

In U. S. Patents Nos. 2,490,882 and 2,490,883, issued December 13, 1949, there is described and shown a needle threader including a member formed with a needle receiving-passage intersected by a thread receiving slot. A thread engaging hook is biased to swing across the passage through the eye of a needle inserted butt end first into the passage. Normally, the hook is restrained from entering the passage by an an vil which is biased into a position blocking the hook. As a needle is inserted into the passage, the anvil is moved inwardly so that the hook passes through the needle eye into the thread receiving slot. A thread is then laid in the slot over the hook and is pulled through the needle eye as the hook is swung back when the needle is withdrawn from its passage.

The present invention is directed to a needle threader in which the anvil is fixed, and the hook isadvanced through the needle eye manually and against the force of a biasing spring normally urging the hook to a retracted position. A thumb piece is rockably mounted in a casing member containing the needle passage and the hook biasing spring operates on this thumb piece. The hook is mounted on a slide movable at right angles to the needle passage, and the slide. has some lateral play so that the hook can adjust itself to needle eyes at different distances from the needle butt end.

In operation, a needle is inserted butt end first into the needle passage. The thumb piece is then rocked to advance the hook through the needle eye. A thread is then laid in the slot over the hook. While the spring biases the thumb piece to move the hook back, some additional force on the thumb piece is necessary due to theincrease in resistance offered by the thread loop being drawn through the needle eye. I

Preferably, the casing is formed with a needle holding pocket closed by a spring biased slide having a needle extracting opening. In addition, the casing is fiat and grip shaped to fit the hand, so that one hand may hold the threader while the other inserts the needle and places the thread in the slot.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved, compact, one-hand operated needle threader.

Another object is to provide such a threader including a thumb piece operated spring biased,

normally retracted threading hook.

These, and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the threader;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation view thereof;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevation views with the cover removed, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating the inoperative and thread inserting positions, respectively, of the threader elements;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view showing the thread loop being drawn through the needle eye; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the threader includes a casing l0, having a generally gripshapecl configuration, and a cover I5 which is peripherally congruent with casing l0. Casing I0 and cover [5 preferably are molded from a suit able plastic. Casing I0 is formed with a peripheral rib or rim H which, at the forward end of the casing, is cut away to form the entrance to a slot I2. The latter, in cooperation with a mating slot [6 in cover l5, forms the thread receiving slot 20.

Adjacent slot I2, rib II is joined or formed integral'with an enlargement I3 in which is formed the needle receiving passage 25. Enlargement l3 may be molded integrally with casing l0 and rib H, or may be an insert cemented to the casing in abutment with rim 1 I. In alignment with passage 25 is a stop or anvil I4 having a groove l1 and a recess H3 in its upper end arranged to receive the butt end of a needle 30 and align its eye 3| with slot 20.

Inwardly of slot l2, the inner surface of easing iii has a rectangular guide recess 2| adjacent the forward end of which is an elongated rib or the like 22. Another recess 23 intersects recess 2| at nearly a right angle. Recess 2| acts as a loose guide for an elongated rectangular slide 24. The forward'end of slide 24 has a notch 26 receiving a mating block 21.

The hook 35, which is a thin metal member, is held in place on slide 24 by securement of block 21 in notch 26, the hook being held between the block and the adjacent face of the recess. Hook 35 projects forwardly from slide 24 for passage through eye 3! into slot 26. Recess 23 receives a pair of weights, such as metal balls 28, which lightly bias slide 24 toward the lower edge of recess 2|. This allows adjustment of hook 35 to 3 enter eyes 3| which may be at different distances from the butt end of a needle 30.

Intermediate its ends, slide 24 has a recess 33 receiving a finger 4| extending from a sector shaped thumb piece 40 pivoted on a pin-like projection as of casing It. Thumb piece 40 has a notch t2 whose shoulder t3 abuts a stop 36 to limit movement of thumb :piece 45 in a clockwise direction. The outer serrated edge 45 of the thumb piece projects through a slot 3'! in rib H.

The rear edge of thumb piece 40 has a shoulder 4 which is engaged by the free end of a leaf spring 45 which is held in place by having its end secured in a stop 43' and extending forwardly over a pin 38. Spring it biases thumb piece 40 counter-clockwise to retract slide 25 and hook 35 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

To thread needle 38, the needle is grasped in one hand and the threader in the other. Needle 30 is then inserted butt end first into passage 25 until its butt end engages in recess 18 of stop 14. The serrated edge 45 of thumb piece 30 is then retracted to rock the thumb piece clockwise and advance slide 26 to project hook 55 through eye 3| into slot 25, as shown in Fig. 4.

A thread 55 is then laid in slot 25 overlying hoot: 35. The thumb piece edge 45 is then pushed forwardly to rock the thumb piece counterclockwise. This movement, which assists the action of spring 16, retracts slide 24. Hook 35, with a loop of thread 55 engaged thereover, is thus pulled through eye 3 l. The added resistance due to the thread loop necessitates manual movement of the thumb piece to assist the spring action. The position of the parts is shown in Fig. 5. Needle 39 is then withdrawn pulling the thread loop with it, the free end of the thread passing around hook 35 and out through passage 25.

A feature of the threader is the provision of needle holding means. An elongated U-shape rib 5! in casing it forms a needle recess 55 opening outwardly through a break 52 in rib H. The rear ends of casing and cover form a dovetail recess slidably receiving a cover plate 53 having a projecting pin 54 and an opening 56.

Pin 54 is engaged by the free end of a leaf spring 51 having a notch 53 fitting a stop 5| and lying over a pin 82. Spring 51 biases plate 53 upwardly to a position in which opening 55 is out of line with opening 52. To remove or insert needles into pocket 55, plate 53 is moved downwardly to align hole 55 with break 52 as shown in broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it should be understood that the invention may :be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and. a thread receiving slot intersecting such passage, said member being formed with guide means extending in a direction to intersect the passage and slot, a slide movable along said guide means, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle inserted in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, means biasing said slide in a direction to retract said element from the slot and passage, and an actuator movably mounted on said member and having a portion operatively associated with said slide and a manually engageable portion, said actuator being movable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said biasing means, through a needle eye and into the slot, and being movable in the opposite direction to assist said biasing means in retracting said element, and a thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye, said slide being of less cross-section than, and thereby having play in, said guide means to accommodate said element to needles having eyes at different distances from their butt ends.

2. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and a thread receiving slot intersecting such passage, said member being formed with guide means extending in a direction to intersect the passage and slot, a slide movable along said guide means and having a vertically extending slot, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the thread receiving slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle insert-ed in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, means biasing said slide in a direction to retract said element from the slot and passage, and an actuator rockably mounted on said member and having an end projecting therebeyond for manual operation and an end depending into and hearing against the walls of the slot of said slide for operative association with said slide, said actuator being rockable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said biasing means, through a needle eye and into the slot, and being rockazble in the opposite direction to assist said biasing means in retracting said element, and a thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye.

3. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and a thread receiving slot intersecting such passage, said member being formed with guide means extending in a direction to intersect the passage and slot, a slide movable along said guide means, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle inserted in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, means biasing said slide in a direction to retract said element from the slot and passage, and an actuator rockably mounted on said member and having an end projecting therebeyond for manual operation and an end operatively associated with said slide, said actuator being rockable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said biasing means, through a needle eye and into the slot, and being rockable in the opposite direction to assist said biasing means in retracting said element, and a, thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye, said slide being of less cross-section than and thereby having play in said guide means to accommodate said element to needles having eyes at different distances from their butt ends.

4. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and a thread receiving slot intersecting such passage, said member being formed with guide means extending in a direction to intersect the passage and slot, a slide movable along said guide means, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle inserted in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, means biasing said slide in a direction to retract said element from the slot and passage, an actuator rockably mounted on said member and having an end projecting therebeyond for manual operation and an end operatively associated with said slide, said actuator being rockable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said biasing means, through a needle eye and into the slot, and being rockable in the opposite direction to assist said biasing means in retracting said element, and a thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye, said slide having play in said guide means to accommodate said element to needles having eyes at difierent distances from their butt ends, and means biasing said slide lateral-1y of said guide means toward said seat means.

5. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and a thread receiving 3 extending slot, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the thread receiving slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle inserted in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, an actuator rockably mounted on said member and having an end projecting therebeyond for manual operation and an end depending into and bearing against the walls of the slot of said slide for operative association with said slide, and spring means biasing said actuator to a position retracting said element from the slot and passage, said actuator being rockable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said spring means, through a needle eye and into the slot and being rockable in the opposite direction to assist said spring means in retracting said element, and a thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye, said slide being of less cross-section than, and thereby having play in, said guide means to accommodate said element to 6 needles having eyes difierent distances from their butt ends.

6. A needle threader comprising, in combination, a member formed with a passage to receive a needle to be threaded and a, thread receivin slot intersecting such passage, said member being formed with guide means extending in a direction to intersect the passage and slot, a slide movable along said guide means, a thread engaging element projecting from said slide for movement across such passage and into the slot to engage a thread disposable therein, means aligned with such passage and serving as a seat for the butt end of a needle inserted in the passage to align the needle eye with said element, an actuator rockably mounted on said member and having an end projecting therebeyond for manual operation and an end operatively associated with said slide, spring means biasing said actuator to a position retracting said element from the slot and passage, said actuator being rockable in one direction to advance said slide and element, against the force of said spring means, through a needle eye and into the slot and being rockable in the opposite direction to assist said spring means in retracting said element, and a thread engaged therewith, through the needle eye, said slide having play in said guide means to accommodate said element to needles having eyes at different distances from their butt ends, and means biasing said slide laterally of said guide means toward said seat means.

'7. A needle threader as claimed in claim 6 in which said spring means comprises a leaf spring secured in said member and having a free end engaged with said actuator.

8. A needle threader as claimed in claim 6 in which said spring means comprises a leaf spring secured in said member and having a free end engaged with said actuator, and means limiting rocking movement of said actuator.

CLARENCE A. PINKHAM. BARTHOLOM'EW HOLOHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,281,180 Christ Apr. 28, 1942 2,311,665 Kahn Feb. 23, 1943 2,338,159 Appleton Jan. 4, 1944 2,490,883 Pinkham et al Dec. 13, 1949 2,507,370 Edwards May 9, 1950 

